Dodging retirement in 2010, Katie and Roger Foster took a "leap-of-faith" and moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates when Roger accepted a position there. The Arabian adventure would last 4 years. This blog is an account of their expat experiences and travels around the Arabian peninsula and beyond.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be moving to a foreign country to live, let alone a country in the Middle East. Over the 2009 Christmas and New Year’s holidays, my husband Roger and I discussed what we wanted the next part of our life to be like. He thought that before retiring, he would like to do one more airport project but only if he could find something very interesting. I half-jokingly agreed that would be fine but could he try for an exotic location? As usual, Roger came through and soon we were headed to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. This blog is a recap of our "leap-of- faith" wanderings around the Middle East and beyond. We joyfully share these expat experiences.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE LIVING IN DUBAI!!

I have been living in Dubai for a little over a year now andcan
say unequivocally, “I LOVE DUBAI!!!”

I have many reasons to love Dubai: the
rich history of this young country that I am privileged toexplore;
the interaction with different exotic cultures (well, they are exotic to me;)
laughing about the absurdity of getting into a cab only to find out you have
been in Dubai longer than the driver who hasn’t a clue where your destination
is; celebrating little victories of surviving daily life as a first-time expat
American living in an Arab country; and the melding of old and new
traditions. This could go on and on, but thanks to my collaboration with a
few friends, I have come up withThe
Top 10 Reasons I Love Living in Dubai...

9) I embraced the
Electronic Ageand went completely paperless and now conduct all my business
on the Internet. It feels good doing my part to save the trees and the planet.

8)The opportunity to pray 5 times a day with our Muslim friendsas thecall to prayerbegins at 4:40 AM and can be heard in every corner of Dubai 5
times a day. I now say my own prayer for peace at these calls to
prayers--just a small gesture of solidarity with my Muslim friends.

7)The thrill of the grocery scavenger huntas it is impossible to complete a week’s grocery shopping by
going toonestore. Since most of the food in UAE is imported, the supply
chain is sometimes broken leaving me without what I consider essentials. Since
every other American company is here, where arePublixandWhole Foods?

6)The special and preferential treatment of womenprovides women with “red carpet” treatment to get through all
kinds of queues in Dubai. We are served first, provided our own lines at
airports and in government buildings, and there is an abundance of helpful,
smiling, ever-present service personnel to assist with the drudgery of daily
tasks such as: bag and carry groceries, pump gas, carry packages, change
light bulbs, etc. I especially appreciate the gas pumping when it is 107
degrees!!!

5)It's away!!!Foreign countries have always had a magic calling for me, but
with four children, I seldom had the opportunity to answer the call. OK, so
moving to the other side of the world may have been extreme, but it was the
offer on the table. The Internet,SkypeandMagic Jack– when they work –keep us in touch and make it easy to
participate and enjoy family drama from a distance.

4)The international experiencemeans In a matter of minutes, you can hear Arabic, English,Urdu,Hindi,Tagalog,Tamil,Sinhalese, French, Italian, German, and some I can’t identify. In
addition, you see a vast range of beautiful and striking national dress and
learn international body language: the Indian “bobble-head” meaning “no
problem, Boss;” the Arab “nose bump” greeting among
men; Pakistani men holding hands as a sign of friendship; Muslim men
and women constantly re-arranging their attractivehead scarves; and the Arabic “swey-swey” brushing of hands to signal you are finished.

3)The fun and excitement of drivingSpeeding, an accepted UAE sport, is mandatory or you face being run
down. Roundaboutsare on every little
inconsequential street, but nothing compares with the thrill of navigating
6-lane wideNational Roundaboutat rush hour where you jockey for
position withmultiple18-wheelers. Speed bumpsare everywheretoo-- what a thrill for your car’s
brakes and chassis. The good news is that they slow down Roger, whose daily task ofsurvival driving on theSheikh Zayed Road to Abu Dhabiand back, has turned him into
a very aggressive driver. Left turnsdo not generally exist, providing
the opportunity to take the scenic route as you travel miles out of your
way to find a u-turn to circle back and make your way.

﻿

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2)The joy of swiftly making new friendsas expats are bound together by the instinct to survive.
Friendships are formed very quickly as we help each other navigate and
explore the Arabian labyrinth of daily living. The bonus is that everyone has
such interesting backgrounds!

1)I am a kept woman My husband has a job and I can’t find one. As my energy level is quite high, I was most nervous about not
working and being just a “camp follower.” Happily, I have slipped into a daily
rhythm that is fulfilling. My blog has opened the door to a career as a freelance
writer, and I can happily say my first article, “Souq Shopping in Dubai,”was recently publishedinfancyzipper.coman online fashion magazine.

OK, all those who are living or
have lived in Dubai . . . what I have missed?

277 comments:

Hi Katie,What a great list. One of my favorites that you missed is full moon drumming in the Arabian desert under a clear sky full of stars (which you can see in all their glory as you're far away from the lights of the city)! My least favorite is the drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi...what a frightening video, but we've all experienced it.

Katie - Great stuff as always! You are brave - I opt for drivers in the Middle East. Hey, I think you could make a business out of exporting the fabulous peacock scarves - if only we could get the shipping below $200! Best, JP

I love the fact that every basic supermarket has more exotic foods than the best deli back home! When I was back in Scotland recently I was both horrified and amused that I had to look in the "exotic foods" aisle for chick peas in the local supermarket in Helensburgh!

It just goes to prove that it is all relative. I am certain if I was shopping in Helensburgh I would have to look in the "exotic foods" aisle to find some of my American favorites! It just keeps us on our toes.

There's nothing like taking the small boat on the waterway downtown Dubai, or going down a oneway highway and having a car coming at you because they didn't want to go that long way to take the turnaround, or when they drive at night without lights to save on the battery or lights, never did figure that one out. Brooke Seward Weed

Within three months of living in Dubai I decided that "there are no straight lines in Dubai" . . . many things are not rational according to the "western mindset" but then again, it is part of the "exotic" culture in which we are now living. Just keep saying to yourself "twanikam" (Toto we are not in Kansas anymore) and keep alert at all times!

my husband is getting out of the (US) army soon and is looking for jobs in the UAE. I'm all for adventure but my kids are so very young, 1,2&4. Are we crazy? o mentioned you had kids so i wonder, would you have done this when you were a young mother? knowing then what you know now about living there? Everything i've read says its great and safe but my biggest concern is my daughter starting school and choosing the right place to live for that reason. any incite would be helpful!

The people I know who have their children here all say what an incredible experience they are having. Friends from all over the world, opportunities for travel to countries they never dreamed of and developing a very rounded view of the world. Schooling is a concern and expensive but I haven't heard anyone say they were unhappy with the education - though they choose their (private) school very carefully. If I had the opportunity to do this when my children were young I would have jumped at the chance.

I believe the best place to work is Dubai barring the weather everything else is fantastic. No taxes to be paid is icing on the cake for sure and it's a very clean city had been there thrice or so when i was young but would love to work there shortly as i 'm in the procees of aplying to aIT compnay in Dubai. The info provided to me was fabulous if you wish to work in Dubai get this book undeer you belly. Visit : http://www.qroacker.com/dubaijobsecrets

all because of H.H Shaikh Khalifah Bin Zayed "president Of UAE" and H.H Shaikh Mohamed Bin Rashed "Vice President Of UAE" and H.H Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed "Crown Prince Court Of Abu-Dhabi", the reason i'm writing this is that they really did makes us proud by putting our country name in the World Map.

some my say that we have "Oil" but i strongly disagree, the reason been is that Saudi Arabian "KSA" has Oil more that we us do, but if you visit a lot of city-side places in Saudi you will find that the devoloping prossce is not really the same as the UAE.Second reason is that the country and the royal family their most important thing they think of is how to make the UAE Socity More and More Happy.

I do respect all people I talked about in this comment and i hope people all over the world will visit UAE and they are most welcome to my humble country Hope you enjoies the stay in UAE ... :)

PS: Not all people in Qatra and Kandoorah "traditional dress" are Emirates .. :)

Thanks for clarifying the "traditional dress" questions. I have often wondered if everyone who dressed like that were Emirati. You, and us too, are blessed to have rulers who have such generous spirits.

I love taking people to the Burj Khalifa. It is such a great way to get a feel for the breath of the city. The fountains are always on our list too for guests - great way to enjoy a good meal with great entertainment! Glad you enjoyed the post.

Dubai is a unique destination that is both a dynamic business,center and a tourist paradise, offering more attractions, shopping, fine dining and quality hotels. Dubai is really a place for tourists and for career seekers.

What advice would you have for a single, 30 year old American female considering moving to Dubai to work for Emirates Airline? I am all for traveling and experiencing new cultures. However, kind of scared to go there alone.

Just do it! Dubai and the UAE have a wealth of opportunities for young people. Just take the normal precautions you would take in any major international city. If you like I can put you in touch with a friend who lives in Dubai and is cabin crew. email me katiefoster46@gmail.com

We went on the Dolphin Encounter as I am not confident in deep water. The whole experience was amazing as we met new people, lots of time spent with your dolphin and many photo opportunities. Photos are expensive to buy but are a lovely reminder of the day. For me I met my lovely man there ;) http://www.globogirls.com/place/64-Dubai

I love this! My husband and I have been talking about moving over there. He is being offered a job, and by the way things are looking like in the military, he might have to separate 2 years shy of being able to retire. What I am most nervous about is how my children will grow up there. My daughter is three at the moment and in the German kindergarten. She is speaking English, Spanisg, and now learning German. Are there any schools for American children over there? Or any montessori? I wouldn't mind putting her in a local school but I am not sure if she will be allowed to attend. And, like you, I am always on the go! Especially with projects! I currently have a small business and I am nervous I will have to close my online shop due to shipping costs and what not. But thank you for this blog! I can't for the next step in my family's life!

Great share. Dubai is one of my favorite destination on any given day and from Jan I am moving to Dubai.Being an Indian I just love the fact that it never makes you miss your home. Wherever you go you will find people from India. in fact there are structures and buildings that are made by Indian companies like Galfar construction owned by P Mohamed Ali

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About Me

Katie Foster is an American freelance journalist and photographer. While living in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate, she blogged about her extensive travels in the Middle East - Arabian Tales and Other Amazing Adventures. Currently living in the USA, Katie blogs about her travel adventures in other parts of the world - Travel Passionately.

Her interests include travel, culture, food, and wine. Backed by more than 25 years of experience in corporate, academic and non-profit public relations and writing she now enjoys focusing her writing skills full time on her passions.